Melbourne Hospital Investigated for Negligence Surrounding Death of Seven Newborns

Families are speaking out against a Bacchus Marsh & Melton Regional Hospital, run by Djerriwarrh Health Services, which is now being investigated for ten newborn deaths that took place in 2013 and 2014. The hospital is located in Melbourne, Australia and is currently under review for negligence in the deaths of seven newborns.

Investigations of the Health Department have found that seven of the ten deaths that have occurred between 2013 and 2014 could have been avoided. State Health Minister Jill Hennessy described the events she has learned of at the hospital as a “series of catastrophic failures;” one failure being the hospital’s employment of Dr Surinder Parhar as head of obstetrics and gynecology. Parhar was involved in a 28-month investigation by the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Agency in 2013. Currently, there is one lawsuit against the hospital for a baby that suffered an allegedly preventable brain injury, and three families who are exploring lawsuits for their experiences with the hospital.

A local mother, Amy (last name withheld from media) is sharing her experiences with giving birth to her third child at Bacchus Marsh hospital. She was turned away when arriving at the hospital after going into labor early before a planned cesarean section, as instructed by her doctor because of serious medical issues with her previous labors. Amy had not felt her baby move in over 24 hours when arriving at the hospital, and even with her baby’s heart rate shown to be unstable, she was sent home by attending staff. Upon seeing her GP, she was immediately sent back to the hospital, where the staff were still reluctant to treat her. The treatment Amy eventually received resulting in improper anesthesia during surgery, causing her to feel the incision during her cesarean section.

Many more families are coming forward with complaints against the hospital. Another local mother, Rachel Tregea, gave birth to her daughter Lily last year, and was terrified to see her baby blue in color. The staff did not seek to find cause of the prolonged coloring of the baby; the cause was found at a separate trip to a children’s hospital that revealed a serious condition with her daughter’s heart and arteries.

About Erin Picard

Erin is a psychology student, amateur photographer, crocheter, and avid pop culture aficionado. Interesting conversations and writing topics for her are widespread: from the correlation of depression with increased use of social media outlets to how awful the series finale of 'Lost' was.